SWNOVELS Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kai's mother had been splitting her time between the manor and my father. As much as I questioned her being so close to him, I was glad he had someone to talk to on his bad days. As the chemo kept pumping through him I could see more of him slipping away. He'd lost a few pounds since it started and a lot of energy.
"Leah dear, where are we setting all the chairs again?"
Ahh yes... seating.
"We want the long tables lined up in two rows in the back and then some round ones in the middle with the head table up front. We can have the dance floor in the back so no one has to lose a seat and then the banquet can be out in the hall."
The ceremony was just a few days a way now. I was becoming anxious, nervous and getting less sleep. My nightmares were getting worse. Gran took my hand and gave it a light squeeze.
"You don't worry sweet one. He's ready. You may not be, but he's not afraid. And he's going to be in the Mothers presence."
"Thank you." I smiled, lately she had an inkling of what I was thinking and I was glad to have her here with me.
I took a deep breath and turned just in time to see Liz hang the last set of flowers over the arch. In that moment everything had cleared and all i could picture was me and Kai holding hands and smiling under it. I felt a tear slip out and quickly whisked it away. There was no way I was going to break down right here.
My view was interrupted by a big figure.
"Excuse me, your in my way."
"Sweets, I know you've got a lot to do here.. but Alex told me to tell you to get your butt to the salon for your fitting."
I let my eyes travel up the persons chest until I met Kai in the eyes. He looked like he had just been poked and prodded like a newborn. The stress in his eyes was clear as day. "Can you stay and make sure-"
"Baby I got this, now go." He kissed my head and pushed me right into Sarah's arms.
She linked arms with me and was instantly pulling me away. Everyone but me was smiling when I came out in my dress. Alex and Sarah were holding back tears, I let mine fall along with all of the stress this was bringing. Immediately they knew something was wrong and pulled me into a chair and got me a tissue and some water.
"Leah, sweets what is it?"
"How can anyone be happy knowing that the day I get married is the day my father dies!" I screamed. "I can't take all the pressure from the court and from the Alphas and I'm losing my mind. Not to mention hours of sleep from all the nightmares. It's almost to the point I can't eat or think."
I buried my face in a tissue and continued sobbing. I felt them place a blanket over me and I attempted to calm down.
"Can someone go get gran?" Sarah said from next to me.
I heard the footsteps walk away and then three pairs returned. I looked up to see Kai standing there with a blindfold on. I sighed and stood taking Mara with me to the dressing room.
"It fits perfectly Mara. Maybe it could use another bit off the bottom. I feel like it's dragging even with my heels."
"Of course Princess that's an easy fix. Also, may I say how brave you are for doing this knowing what you know."
"We did our best to delay it."
She nodded. "There, you can get dressed. Oh and Princess, Happy Birthday."
"Thanks Mara."
Kai closed the door to our room in the palace behind me. He and Gran insisted I go and rest before the party. We were using the same set up from the wedding for our party tonight. Sarah and Kai's mom were put in charge of things after my little breakdown. I trusted they'd do just fine. Before I went to rest, Gran did a sage cleansing of my room and me. She also made me drink some lavender and honey tea. Kai insisted on laying with me, in case I needed anything or something happened. I curled into his side the soft light from his phone illuminating the space around us. I started to doze off feeling the weight off my lack of sleep hit me. The last thing I felt was Kai kissing my head.
The air around me was warm and I could feel the sun on my face. Meara was sitting on a porch swing that hung from a large willow tree the branches seemed to move with her. I noticed a little girl no older than three sitting with her a smaller pup on her lap. From what I could hear Meara was telling them stories. I sat in the distance just watching them. I looked around for other children, wondering if the little girl was Sarah's.
"My child, why do you fret." Meara was sitting next to me now.
"I'm afraid. Of losing my father, of not being strong enough to fight my mother, well Aideen. I'm afraid of losing Sarah's twins, my own children."
"Dear one, relax. All will be well. Your father will come home to me, and we will be right here to guide you together. You need not worry about the rest. Just believe in yourself, trust your family and let me do the rest."
"Mother, have you seen past this? Do we win?"
She smiles and brushes my hair out of my face. "Little one come here."
The little girl from earlier ran up to us and sat next to Meara. She had my nose and hair color, but her eyes were a piercing green, just like Kai's. She hid behind Meara, unsure of me.
"Little one, aren't you going to say hello to your mother."
She waved at me, but said nothing. Not knowing me, I couldn't blame her.
"She's mine?"
"She will be, once you and Kai get pregnant, She'll be your first, and future queen."
"First?"
The little pup from before had come to sit next to the little girl. My eyes widened as the pup then climbed into my lap. She was just a little thing, or he. I flipped the pup over rubbing it's belly. Another girl, I smiled.
"My child you will be blessed. Leave everything to me and enjoy your birthday."
"Thank you mother."
I stood outside the doors to the hall waiting for Luca. Everyone else was inside waiting for our big entrance. I looked out the window, this specific side of the castle looked out to a part of the village. All you could see were little kids all dressed up, going from house to house yelling "Tick-or-Treat!" to whomever opened their door. I smiled knowing that was another thing my father probably had to do with here. Halloween had always been his favorite holiday, even before Luca and I were born. Now that I knew about our powers, it made the fact that Halloween was also our birthday a little ironic. It had been a great excuse to always dress up how I wanted for my birthday. Our first Halloween after father had left I went as a Princess. Again the irony was not lost on me.
Luca cleared his throat behind me, "Wishing you were one of them?"
"No, it just sparked a lot of memories is all. Although now all I can think of is-"
"How ironic everything is, yeah, me too." He sighed and spun me around in my dress to get a better look. "Are you feeling better?"
I nodded, "Yeah. Meara visited me in my dreams. I'm still hurting knowing what will happen, but she told me some things that made me feel a little better about it all."
"Good, now who are you supposed to be for All Hallows Eve this year dear sister?"
"Can't you tell? I'm Lena Duchannes, the caster girl from Beautiful Creatures."
"Mara made the dress didn't she?"
I smiled, "Actually King Oran said that Aunt Lily had a gown similar enough that it would work for the costume, and he let me give it to Mara to alter some."
"Well it certainly looks better on you than the actress."
"Thank you dear brother."
"Are you ready, we have to be in there before 9. For the ceremony."
"Let's get this party started."
This party started out like any other movie in the princess book of movies. People everywhere wished me and Luca a happy birthday, everyone laughed and danced and ate. A part of me wanted to have all that fun too, but my mind was still slightly occupied by the things going on behind the scenes. Things that the people, the court, the alphas were all clueless too. Aunt Emilia was sitting next to me at the head table when she glanced at the time.
"Oh, my look at that. It's almost nine. We should probably get ready for the ceremony."
"Aunt Em, what is going to happen to me? What will happen if I end up like Wilhelmina?"
"No, my child. Unlike you she grew up here, it was dark times all around, and there weren't as many protective spells on the Isle as there are now. You need not to worry."
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COURT, CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE." My father's voice bellowed through the hall. "IT IS TIME FOR OUR PRINCE AND PRINCESS TO RECEIVE THEIR FULL POWERS. Luca and Leah, please come here."
We made our way to the middle of the room where there were two crescent moons etched into the floor designs. Luca took the one that faced to the north and I faced him standing over the other. We joined hands and lifted our eyes up to the sky. A part of the roof had opened up revealing the big full harvest moon above. It glowed on us with a slightly orange hue illuminating my auburn hair a bit more. I felt my eyes gloss over white as a bright light beamed on us. Everyone around us was chanting, I realized that our inner circle of people consisted of mostly Alphas, our family and Oran. I couldn't make much out, but I could feel them. Then all of a sudden, they all faded into the background. Luca was the only one I could feel. I heard the Great Mother's voice.
"Children of the Isle. Descendants of the Great Mother. Be you blessed in your endeavours and rise to your fullest powers."
I could feel the surge of energy that was pushing though my body, it was nothing like before. I was searching then, this had been different. It was always there. I could always feel it. Then just like it had come, the light was gone, but I felt a kiss on my forehead from the Great Mother as she left us. I smiled to myself. I looked over to my brother, whose eyes were glowing an iridescent blue. I knew that mine were glowing as well. I looked down at my left wrist and noticed a dark pigment beginning to rise from under my sleeve. Everyone began to clap as our family clung around us in a big hug. Kai took my wrist immediately and pulled up my sleeve. Having already pulled up his own, together we stared down at two very fresh marks. As suspected, being tied to two different packs had changed his Alpha mark. It was now a mix of native and Celtic markings. The knot was now surrounded by the twisting circle of a dream catcher circle and three feathers fell towards our elbows.
His grandparents came to us and hugged us again.
"Truly blessed are you, White Wolf." Chief stated.
Oran drug Sarah and Luca over to us also, examining the markings. "Sarah, yours have changed also. How is this possible? You are a member of the Irish pack."
"Grandfather, you're forgetting that Sarah is my Beta. She's in my pack."
"Malakai, are you saying you knew this would happen?"
"I wasn't certain, but something in my gut told me to be prepared for it. Think of it? Sarah learned as much from the Ponca pack being around them as I was. Her wolf has been influenced by them as well as the Irish pack. I know you all expected hers to change to Alpha status when this happened, but it didn't. Sarah is my family, my pack. The Great Mother knows what she is doing, she knew long before when she allowed you to marry off my mother and not have her and my father complete the mating ceremony."
"Kai, maybe not here." I tried to calm him, but it quickly became clear that he was not going to let this go so easily now. I looked around noticing a few wandering eyes of other Alphas. I quickly said a quiet spell that shifted all attention away from us and protected our conversation from prying ears.
"No Leah, I always wondered how I wasn't orphaned back then. I should have been an orphan when dad was killed but I wasn't. I just want to know why, why it never happened. Did you not love him?"
I looked over to Kai's mother to see her shedding tears. "Malakai, I did love your father, we had a great number of years married to each other. But it was arranged, because of a vision that your grandfather and Tobias shared with the Great Mother. As much as I loved your father and miss him every day, he was not the love of my life and not my true mate. My true mate died when I was but a teen, and we had yet to get our marks. Nothing could be proven then, not without the markings to prove anything."
"Elliot? Siobhan, why did you never tell me?" Oran questioned.
"Mother disapproved of his omega status."
For once the Queen Mother was nowhere to be seen. This was really starting to get out of hand. I wanted Kai to get answers, but not like this. Especially at my birthday party.
"Malakai, I promise to explain everything, just not right now. I'm sure people are starting to wear off of Leah's spells. Please son."
"Alright, tomorrow, my office." He was still clearly upset judging by the sternness of his voice. Instead of just letting it show he but on a brave face and turned to me. "Would you like to dance?"
I nodded, "I'd love to."
Once we were a ways into the dance he finally broke the silent bubble he placed us in. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me. Please don't let it ruin your birthday."
"I'm not upset, you could have picked a better place, yes. But Kai you need answers. I didn't expect Sarah and Luca's marks to be like ours at all. I expected them to be like Oran's. What is she trying to tell us with this though. Creating a new mark, a new pack. All our children will have marks like that."
"Maybe she's warning us, that a pack might not survive this. By her will with my parents so long ago, maybe she knows something we don't about this war. Maybe one of the packs will turn on us? I don't know."
"Do you really think that one will chose evil?"
"No, but anything is possible. How are you feeling about everything else?"
I smiled. "I'm choosing not to think about it right now. I want to enjoy my birthday, it's probably the last I have with my father."
Kai nodded in response as someone tapped on his shoulder. "Mind if I cut in, Son." I knew my father's frail voice anywhere. Kai smiled and obliged going to find Sarah and Luca.
"Leah, I love you. I know I lied about all this, or rather I just never told you. I'm sorry for all that. I wanted to protect you-"
"I get it dad, I do. I forgive you. I always will. You're my dad, I know that you'll always be there to protect me."
"I'm sorry our time was so short together. There was so much more I wanted to share with you."
"Dad, ca-can we just enjoy this. This day that we have."
He smiled at me, "Of course darling."
We danced about three more dances after he cut in on Kai. The whole time we were just smiling and laughing at the people around us who had pinched faces and sour looks. I could tell that he was getting tired, so I helped him to his chair and got him some water. When I came back with his drink, Kai's mom was sitting with him a smile on her face.
"Oh, Leah, dear. I think that Kai is looking for you."
"Thanks."
I went off looking for Kai, not that he was hard to find. He was with some of the Alphas sitting and discussing the coming days. I moved to sit next to him at first, then he pulled me into his lap, which surprised me. I looked back at him raising my eyebrow.
He just smiled.
"Careful there White Wolf," Chief warned him.
"Why do you call him White Wolf," Alpha Henry asked.
I too had been wondering this but had yet to ask Malakai himself. We all looked at Chief now waiting for a response.
"Well... it's not literal. It's honestly a bit of irony given his native roots. He's just so pale.. My grandfather would have called him a "white man" so when he turned 12 and phased for the first time... I was surprised to see his jet black coat. That was when he got the Native name White wolf. For my people it is a blessing as for us a wolf is wise and brave and smart. The color white stands for purity also. So there you have it."
I smiled at Malakai and tried not to laugh at the irony. He was a little pale for a native, especially one that lived in Oklahoma.
"Don't laugh, Luna. Soon they'll be giving you one at your Luna Ceremony."
Ah yes, my Luna Ceremony. It was one of the things Gran had been talking with me about as of late. She said it was more special than my coronation and even my wedding. Becoming a Luna was no easy feat, even for someone who was Luna over one pack. I was the Queen Luna. I had to get the respect of all the packs. All ten of them, now.
"But it is my fellow Luna's who give me my native name, not the Alpha's. I have a feeling that Gran will be sweeter on me than Chief was to you."
Chief smiled and laughed at my boldness, "You'll do just fine, my dear."
The rest of the evening went on much of the same. Kai and I bounced between the Alphas and the Lunas and checked in on my father and his mother every so often. There was a lot of dancing and laughing. By the end of the night I found myself kicking off my shoes and stripping off my dress before crawling into my jammies and right into bed. It wasn’t long after my head hit the pillow that I was completely asleep and for once in the last two months of living on the Isle I had a peaceful night's sleep.